How would you describe Patton’s Meat Market?
We have 36 feet of counter space filled with house-made sausages, thick-sliced bacon, high-marbled natural pork and quality hamburger. We offer a whole section for Certified Angus Beef®, which is the Cadillac of beef. It’s a highly marbled, superior product—the kind of meat that you expect from a butcher shop.
What sets you apart from other meat markets in the area?
Number one is customer service. I’m the owner-operator, and I am in here serving customers every day, as is my wife. It’s that kind of one-on-one connection that you can’t beat, especially if you are a big grocery chain. You also have to stand behind your product. When you carry a good product, people are going to come back because they know their steak or pork chop is going to be tender and flavorful for everyone sitting down at dinner. Another key is making sure your meat is cut to the specifications of the customer. A lot of butchers will cut for profit. We want to make a profit, obviously, but we cut for the enjoyment of the customer. They’re not going to have a plateful of fat and gristle, and that’s what makes us stand out as different from any supermarket and most butcher shops.
What do you buy from Buckhead Meat of Atlanta?
I buy extensively from Buckhead (the specialty meat company owned by Sysco). We’ve been buying Buckhead for around 15 years now, and I buy all my beef from them. I don’t buy beef anywhere else because they’re the licensed company for Certified Angus Beef, and because they take care of us. We also buy our veal and lamb from Buckhead, as well as our poultry, bacon and andouille sausage, and fresh and frozen seafood. The quality is there.
What is Buckhead’s customer service like?
It’s been great. I have no problem getting in touch with someone when I want to place an order. Craig Day is my Buckhead Sales Manager, and he is terrific. He makes sure we get the product exactly the way we ordered it. While other large companies might try to bait and switch you, Buckhead is more than happy to fill orders the way we want: the dates that we want, the brands that we want, the grades that we want. Also, their trucks always get here at a decent time. We don’t wind up sitting around arguing over when the delivery is going to get here. It’s always on time.
What is your favorite steak?
I love a Certified Angus Beef Prime Center-Cut New York Strip. Add some salt, pepper and garlic. I grill it for three minutes on each side and then move it to the oven for 10 minutes until it’s medium-rare. That is the best steak I’ve ever tasted.
Have customers’ tastes in meat changed over the years?
Over the last few years, customers have definitely become more educated because of all the food shows on TV. We get people asking for picanha sirloin cap, skirt steak, tomahawk rib-eye. We give them exactly what they want, the way they want it.
